World number one Tiger Woods has said that he is making very slow progress recovering from surgery for a pinched nerve and unsure when he will make his return to golf.

Woods has been unable to resume his workout regimen because of the March 31 operation, which kept him from playing in last month's Masters, the first major championship of the year.

According to Sport24, Woods said that he remains sore after the operation and regrets not being able to defend his title this week at the US PGA Players Championship , adding that his recovery from microdiscectomy surgery for a pinched nerve in his back is a very slow process.

Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18 won by Jack Nicklaus, doubted his ability to play in next month's US Open at Pinehurst, North Carolina, and the report said that the earliest of those spans would bring him back in time for the British Open at Hoylake, where Woods has won before. (ANI)